Right Here Waiting
by tjmack
Summary: Chapter Four Summary: It was meant to be a simple event. Family, friends, and a couple of I Do's, but tragedy strikes the Heartland ranch and everything is thrown into disarray.
1. Right Here Waiting

_**A/N:** _A couple of things. 1.) This is my first time writing for Heartland. I recently got into the show thanks to Netflix, and got an itch to write for it. With that said, I'm only on episode 7 of season 3, so please ... no spoilers. 2.) I would love feedback. Did I keep Amy & Ty in character? Was it believable. Things like that. 3.) I have recently started a long multi-chaptered Heartland fic, but I'm looking for someone willing to beta read it who would be willing to toss ideas around. I have a general idea, but I work better and much faster if I have someone that helps me figure out more specfic ideas, so if you're up for something like that, feel free to PM me. Otherwise, please enjoy this.

* * *

Amy stifled a sigh as she stared down the gravel drive. Two months he had been gone, and she had feared that maybe this was the time he wasn't going to come back. That was until he called her earlier that day to inform her that he was headed back to Heartland. Though he didn't tell her that he missed her or that he loved her, she could hear the unsaid words in his voice. The way that he got choked up when he said _heartland_, was a dead giveaway.

She's always known that Ty was different than most guys. Hell, she knew that Ty was different than most anyone she had met. He was a wild spirit at heart, and occasionally he needed to be released. Set free to wonder the world. It was generally an annual thing, and Amy had started to get used to it. Usually at the beginning of summer he would take off, leaving her with no details of where he was going or how to get a hold of him.

This time was the longest he had been gone, and it had frightened her. It wasn't that he didn't love her, Amy never doubted that, but she was afraid that their life together had finally gotten to suffocating for him. That he finally realized that he didn't belong tied down.

In the distance, Amy heard the roar of a motorcycle engine as a cloud of dust kicked up around Ty's bike. She couldn't help the smile that crept along the edges of her mouth. Staring down at her clasped hands for a moment, Amy twirled her wedding band. As Ty's bike drew closer, Amy could hear the baby crying from the monitor sitting beside her. For a moment she looked at the monitor, before making a move to get up. She sent a wave toward Ty, before moving to go back into the house.

Quick steps had her standing in front of the nursery. Amy softly pushed the door open and smiled at her baby boy. Even if he was only seven months old, Amy could tell that Tyler was going to be the spitting image of his father.

"Hey, Ty-Ty," Amy cooed at her son, before hefting him into her arms.

As she nestled him onto her hip and handing him his bottle, she turned around to exit the nursery. Just as she stepped into the hallway, she heard the front door open. She couldn't help but smile brightly, as she walked toward the front door quickly.

"You're daddy's home, Ty-Ty." Amy cooed softly, before rounding the corner and stepping into the kitchen.

"Amy." Ty whispered softly, as he met her eyes. "I've missed you so much." His eyes drifted close as he engulfed his small family in his arms. "I missed both of you so much." He whispered, before pressing a kiss to both Tyler and Amy's head. "I love you both so much."

* * *

Later that night, after they put Tyler to bed, Amy snuggled in next to Ty on the couch. She can't help but feel the distance that seems to be growing between them. It's almost as if Ty's words and actual feelings aren't one in the same. Amy can vividly remember him saying that he loved her upon his return earlier on in the day, but sitting beside him now she can feel the familiar ache in her chest when he's gone. It's almost as if he isn't really there.

"Ty …" She starts, but quickly trails off. If she puts the words out there, then she is admitting to her insecurities. Admitting to the fear she feels each and every time he walks out that door. The fear that maybe this time, he won't come back.

He sighs, and the sound pains her. In that one sound she can hear the unhappiness that dwells within him. Amy feels the tears prick at the back of her eyes, and tries her hardest to swallow past the lump that had formed in her throat.

"Amy ..." It's his turn to trail off, but Amy knows better. She knows that he plans on continuing. She knows this because she's seen it a million times before. Ty isn't the most graceful speaker. Words don't come easily to him. She knows that he has something important to say, and she hopes with everything inside of her that what he is about to say isn't going to tear her heart in two.

She could feel him wiggle underneath her, so she lifts up just enough to allow him to stand up. He paces the floor in front of the couch for a few moments before dropping to his knees in front of her. Tears are in his eyes, as he reaches forward and grabs her hand.

"I hate leaving you. Every single time I walk out that door, I hope that you'll say something to pull me back. I wish that I didn't..." He groans, as his free hand rakes through his messy brown locks of hair. "I wish I didn't feel this need to leave. This need to be free, if only for a little while. It hurts me to leave you … to leave Tyler. You are my family. Always have been, and it kills me to know that I'm hurting you." The tears that had filled his eyes slowly start to cascade down his cheeks. "I guess what I'm trying to say, Amy, is that I would understand if the next time I leave … if you lock the door and never let me back in. I don't deserve you. I see that now ..."

Amy couldn't take it anymore. The pain that was etched so deeply into Ty's handsome face. The tears that were slowly falling down his cheeks, leaving small, salty tracks in their wake. The fact that he thought that she didn't love him anymore was the worst.

"I could never do that, Ty. I _love_ you." She put as much into the words as she could. "I won't lie. Watching you leave, it breaks my heart. Knowing there is a chance that you could walk out that door and never come back. It haunts me the entire time you're gone, Ty."

Shaking his head, Ty placed to fingers on Amy's lips to stop her words in their tracks. "_Never_." He growled in a low whisper. "I could never go away forever. Our lives are far too entwined for me to ever leave you forever."

Amy chuckled lightly against the couple of tears that slipped down her own cheeks. "Well, I could never give up on you. Not really. If you promise to always come back to me, Ty, then I promise to always be right here waiting for your return."

Ty smiled softly, "I love you so much, Amy Borden."

She smiled back, as she leaned forward slightly and pressed her forehead against Ty's, "I love you too, Ty Borden."

With the crackle of the baby monitor sitting beside Amy came the shrilling cry of baby Tyler, which caused both parents to smile even more.

"I think he's got your attitude." Ty whispered.

Amy shrugged softly, as she grabbed Ty's hand before standing up. "It's the Bartlett attitude really. I always got my attitude from my grandpa."

Ty chuckled, "I see. So that's why we named him after Jack."

Amy shrugged, "Eh, partially."

Ty nodded in agreement, even though he knew that Amy was only kidding. He knew the real reason that Tyler's middle name was Jackson. He knew that if it hadn't been for Jack's willingness to take a chance on him, then he would have never cleaned up his life … and he would have never married the love of his life.


	2. It's A Long Road To Being Okay

_**A/N: **_I had absolutely no intention of continuing this, but because every review I received asked me to do so, I decided to go ahead and write a bit more. This isn't like a typical multi-chapter story though. It's going to be a short series of one-shots.

I do have a question for you guys. I have a couple of ideas for a couple of "one-shot" chapters that will be more like flashback chapters showing how Amy & Ty ended up engaged/married/parents. What I want to know is if you want me to post those chapters to this story, or separately as their own three part story. The decision lies with you guys.

This chapter really got away from me on two accounts. 1.) I didn't play on writing a 4,000 word chapter. 2.) This was not my original plan for this chapter. However, that means that I can use my original plan for this chapter for a later chapter.

Please review. I love to hear what you guys think. Do you still want me to write more on this? Do you want me to stop? Do you have ideas for future chapters?

* * *

Light slowly filtered into the room, basking the two sleeping figures in early morning sunlight. Ty groaned softly, his head pounding from the lack of sleep. As he made a move to turn onto his other side, away from the light pouring into the bedroom, he caught a glimpse of Amy curled up against his side. Her blonde hair swept lazily behind her head, fanning out and covering the entire inch of her pillow. Despite the fact that his body was craving sleep at that moment and the fact that the light was causing his head to pound that much more, he couldn't help but smile.

Reaching out a tentative hand, not wanting to wake his wife, Ty ran his hand up Amy's arm and came to rest on her cheek. His eye caught the soft sunlight glinting off his wedding ring and smiled brighter. He would never fully understand what had made Amy decide that he was worthy to marry her, but he would be forever grateful for that fact. He had been working hard on staying in one place. It had been a year and a half since the last time he had taken off, and though he still felt the familiar itch to just jump onto his bike and take off, he fought it. It had been their last conversation that had caused him to make the decision to never take off again. The look in Amy's eyes as she spoke. The sheer fear that he would decide to not return. It had broken his heart.

Then there was Tyler. His son. His beautiful little boy. Ty hated missing one minute in his son's life, and being gone for a few months out of the year just because of Ty's inability to stay in one place for prolonged periods of time, it was too much. Ty had saw how much he had missed in the few months that he had been gone the last time, and it broke his heart.

"Hey." Came the hoarse whisper.

Ty smiled softly at Amy, "Hey." He leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead. "How're you feeling?"

Amy shrugged, "Better."

"Good. You had me worried last night, babe. I thought for sure I was going to have to take you to the hospital."

Amy slowly sat up, and groaned. "It was just a virus, Ty. Nothing to be worried about. I'm fine."

Ty shrugged, "I'm your husband, I've earned the right to worry." A sudden thought hit him, and he frowned. Amy reached out her hand, her fingertips grazing against the frown lines on Ty's forehead. "When I've been gone … were you sick like this while you were alone?"

Amy sighed softly, as her eyes drifted closed. "Not really. I mean, a cold here or there. Nothing too horrible, plus Ty, I'm not alone. Grandpa is still here most of the time."

Ty chuckled, "When he's not at Lisa's."

"Just, I don't want you to worry about things like that. It won't do any good. Even if I had been, Ty, it's in the past. There isn't anything you could do about it now. All that matters is you were here for me last night when I needed you. You thought quickly and had Lou pick up Tyler so that he didn't catch it. You did a great job taking care of me, and I love you for it."

Ty put his arm around Amy's shoulders and pulled her against his chest. "I love you too, Amy. Always."

Amy smiled as her eyes slowly drifted close. "Good."

* * *

Ty woke slowly, and moaned at the stiffness in his right shoulder. Glancing down, he smiled. Any thoughts of pain or uncomfortableness immediately disappeared at the peacefulness on Amy's face as she lay curled up against his chest.

With his free left hand, he softly tucked a couple of loose strands of blonde hair behind Amy's ear. He would never stop being stunned by her beauty. The way that the sun was able to light up her features in such a way that made her appear almost angelic. Softly, Ty brushed his thumb against Amy's still reddened cheek and clucked his tongue. There was still a hint of heat under her skin, prompting him to place the back of his hand against her forehead.

Reluctantly, Ty turned his attention from his wife to the nightstand. He fumbled for a moment in the drawer before retrieving the thermometer from within. With a little nudge against Amy's shoulder, Ty carefully roused his still sick wife.

"Ty. I'm so tired. Please." Amy mumbled, as she let her arm drape over his midsection.

"I know, babe. It's just, I'm fairy certain that you still have a temperature. I need to check it, please."

Amy groaned, as she blindly reached out and snagged the small device from Ty's hand. "Fine, but no matter what it says, I get to go back to sleep."

Ty clucked his tongue again. "Not so fast. You threw up all night, Amy. You couldn't keep anything down. We have to at least get some liquids into your system before you start to dehydrate."

"But, Ty!" Amy whined softly.

Ty fought the urge to chuckle at his wife. "Don't make me call Jack."

Amy sighed, "Fine. I give in." She pushed the device into her mouth, before having Ty help her sit up. She glared at him softly, even as he chuckled.

"I'm going to go make you some soup. Anything in particular that you want?" He asked.

Amy made a face around the thermometer, as the mere thought of food made her stomach start to churn. Softly, she shook her head, and watched as Ty ducked out of the room, before quickly peering around the door-frame at Amy. "Don't get any ideas either. I'm just going to see what kind of soup we have on hand. I will be back before that thing goes off."

Amy merely rolled her eyes, as Ty flashed her a lopsided smile. No matter how horrible she might feel or how aggravated she might be at the fact that Ty won't let her sleep, she couldn't resist that charming smile of his. Much like he promised, just as the thermometer beeped it's readiness, Ty came rushing back into the room with three different cans of soup in his possession. He laid the cans out in front of Amy, before removing the thermometer from her mouth.

He glanced down at the device and wrinkled his nose. "38.6 degrees. It's a little high. We need to get you some fluids and something to help bring the temperature down."

This time Amy chuckled, as she grabbed her stomach which was still sore from all the vomiting the night before. "You sound more like my parent than my husband."

Ty sighed, "Well, I am a parent. It's probably where I get it from. So, which of these sound good?"

Amy glanced over the cans with disinterest. To be honest, she was terrified to stick anything into her mouth in fear that it'll just come right back up. She also knew that Ty wasn't going to let her get away without eating _something_ so she pointed at the chicken noodle soup, before leaning back against the headboard.

"Chicken noodle it is. Don't worry. I am practically a culinary chef when it comes to canned soup."

Amy's eyebrow raised, "Is that right?"

Ty nodded, "It is."

Amy shook her head softly, as he ducked back out of the room.

* * *

Ty turns the heat down on the stove, as he watches the broth from the soup boil. Waves of tiny bubbles within the broth pop as new ones are created in their place. With a small spoon, he gives the soup a small taste. With his nose wrinkled slightly, Ty adds just a small shake of salt and quickly stirs it before tasting it again.

"Perfect." He whispers softly.

He turns the stove to a low, simmering heat, deciding to let the soup sit for a moment. As he turns toward the hallway to check on Amy again, his cell phone rings. His brow wrinkles, as he grabs it. His confusion peaks when he notes the name on the caller id. Answering quickly, Ty continues his trek down the hall to the bedroom that he shares with Amy.

"Lou?" Ty listens carefully, and though he can tell that Lou is trying to keep her voice calm and neutral, he can hear the fear and panic hidden within. "What do you mean Tyler's sick?" He listens again, his footsteps halt as he takes in the information. "Did you give him something to get his temperature down?" Ty asks, his voice soft, but his heart is racing at the fact that something is wrong with his son. "Okay, alright. Take him to the hospital, Lou. Amy and I will meet you there." Without waiting for an answer from Lou, Ty quickly hung up the phone and shoved it into his jean pocket.

Quickly, Ty walked down the remainder of the hallway, before throwing the bedroom door open. Without a thought that Amy could be sound asleep, he burst into the room. He sighed at his wife passed out on the bed. He hated to wake her, especially if it wasn't anything serious, but he also knew that if he didn't wake her up that she'd have a fit. Groaning, Ty rushed forward and leaned against the bed, and shook Amy's shoulder.

"No more temperature checks. Not right now. I'm sleeping." She mumbled out.

Any other time, Ty would have found it to have been the most adorable thing, but at the moment it only served to frustrate him. "Amy, it's Tyler, wake up."

Despite the fever, grogginess, and the fact that too quick movements made her feel like throwing up, Amy sat bolt upright, her eyes wide as stared at Ty. "What do you mean it's Tyler?"

"Lou just called. She said he got pretty sick last night. Same as you, I guess. He's had a really high fever since late last night. She's done everything she can to get the fever to go down, and he hasn't responded to any of it. I told her to take him to the hospital, that we'd met her there. Can you get dressed on your own?"

Amy just stared at Ty, tears in her eyes. "He's sick? My baby is sick?" Her stomach started to churn uncomfortably, but she fought against the urge to throw up. Her baby needed her right now.

Ty reached forward and pulled Amy into his arms. "He's going to be okay, Amy. Lou is taking him to the hospital. It's the best thing for him, and it's only a precaution, okay? He'll be alright. Right now though, Amy, he needs you to get dressed so we can be with him, okay? Can you do that? Do you need me to help you?"

Amy nodded against Ty's chest, before pulling herself up off the bed. She stumbled for a moment, as a wave of light-headedness hit her hard. Ty gripped her elbow to keep her from falling down. Once he was certain that she wouldn't fall down, he released his grip but watched her carefully. It took her longer than normal to pull on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, something that Ty had rarely ever saw Amy in, but once she had the clothing on, he helped her put on her shoes. Even as she complained about not being a child.

Once Amy was dressed, Ty pulled her jacket around her shoulders before zipping it up. He quickly followed suit with his own jacket. He barely remembered to turn off the stove-top, before grabbing the keys to his truck, and helping Amy outside and into his truck. It was going to be a long drive to the hospital. One that Ty was not looking forward to.

* * *

Ty paced the waiting room floor. Up and down. Back and forth. Continuous movement. His hand raked through his hair, tugging on the ends softly, as tears slipped down his cheeks. He felt a hand on his shoulder which pulled him up short. Turning around, he was faced with Jack.

"Ty, I can't even being to imagine what you're feeling right now. I just, I need to know that you are going to be here for Amy."

Ty's eyebrow's knitted together. He heard Jack's words, and he knew that the words should have hit a cord with him. That they should have upset him, or at the very least made him angry. Yet, he felt nothing. He was numb. The only thought running through his head at that moment was that he might lose his son. The doctor's words still floating through his mind.

"_Tyler's temperature is still far too high. We haven't been able to get it to go down at all. He isn't responding to any of our attempts to treat him or his fever. The tests that we've run all came back fine. As far as we can tell, Tyler has merely contracted a virus, but for whatever reason, this virus isn't responding to any normal treatment. If we can't get his temperature to go down soon, I fear that there might be permanent consequences. Adults can barely handle a temperature that high. Children are especially sensitive to temperatures this high. We are doing everything we can. Just pray for the best possible outcome. That is all I can say." _

Ty knew that he needed to be there for Amy. Tyler was her son as well. She was going through the same pain that Ty was, but he couldn't help but feel that same familiar itch prickly at the back of his mind. It was telling him to walk out those doors and get as far away from Hudson as humanly possible. It was so much more than an itch now. It was screaming at him to leave. As it were, it was taking everything in him to have stayed as long as he had. Amy had cried herself to sleep on a bed of ugly, orange chairs, with Lou brushing her blonde locks back away from her face.

Suddenly it hit him. Amy had almost an entire army of people willing to be there for her. Willing to do whatever they could to make her feel better, but Ty didn't feel the same. No one was willing to do the same for him. Not as far as he could see. All Jack could say to him was to be there for Amy, but who was going to be there for him? Who was going to tell him that everything was going to be okay?

His chest constricted to the point that Ty felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt like he was gasping for each and every breathe that he pulled into his burning lungs. He knew it was selfish, that Amy would never forgive him, but he had to get away from all of this. He had to get away from all the what if's and what could be's. The vision that he had for his son flashed in front of his eyes, and Ty felt like he might pass out. He stumbled backward. Tears blurring his vision. He could practically see the anger, hurt, and pain on Amy's face when she found out that he wasn't even man enough to be there for her when she needed him the most.

Turning tear-filled eyes toward Jack, "I'm sorry. I am so sorry." He mumbled.

Without further thought, Ty turned and took off around the corner. He couldn't even stand to look at Amy again. To even say goodbye to her. He couldn't stand the sickness he felt inside himself. He hated himself for what he was about to do. The shame that filled his very soul caused the tears to fall freely down his unshaven face. His eyes bore holes into the floor as he continued to move forward. He could hear Jack calling for him, but he couldn't turn around. He wouldn't.

By the time he saw the shoes in front of him it was too late. Ty collided with a far too hard body that forced him to fall backward. Looking up, Ty pinpointed the face as being Dr. Whistler.

"Mr. Borden. Can I help you?"

Ty pressed the palms of his hands against the tile floor and shoved himself back into a standing position. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Pretty sure you've done enough, _doctor_."

Dr. Whistler shook his head, "I was actually on my way to find you and your family. Tyler is starting to respond to our treatments. His temperature hasn't gone down very much, but it is some improvement. If his temperature continues to go down, then he should be fine."

Ty ran his hand over his face. He felt sick. How could he have even though of abandoning his wife … his son, when they needed him the most? "Can -" His voice broke softly, as he tried again. "Can I see him?"

Dr. Whistler sighed. "Normally, we wouldn't allow it. Any sort of infection could cause Tyler's temperature to rise again. However, if you agree to wear a surgical mask and a pair of surgical scrubs, then I don't see why not. I, however, cannot allow your wife in to see Tyler. Not until her temperature has completely subsided."

Ty nodded. "I understand that, and no matter how angry or upset Amy will be when you tell her that, she understands too. We just want what's best for Tyler."

Dr. Whistler nodded, "Follow me, Mr. Borden."

* * *

Amy wiped a hand against her cheeks, as she sat with her knees pulled to her chest. He had been gone for nearly an hour. She had wanted to deny it. How could she believe that her husband, that the man she loved and gave her heart too, would abandon her when she needed him most? She had fought her grandfather on it, claiming that he merely needed some air. That he needed to just step away for a moment and catch his breath. Yet, with each new tick of the clock on the other side of the wall, she lost more and more faith in him.

So, when she heard tennis shoes squeak against the tiled floor, she didn't pay any attention to it. Not until the squeaking stopped, and someone cleared their throat.

Amy looked up and was hit with a mixed of happiness and anger. She wasn't sure which feeling was fighting to explode from her first. Not until she stood up, walked calmly toward Ty, and slapped him in the face. "How could you!?" Her tone was hushed, as Lou and Jack had both fallen asleep.

Ty rubbed his hand against the reddening skin on his cheek. "I didn't, Amy. I won't lie. I was going to. I know that is so selfish of me, and I know I swore to you that I would never take off again. Especially without talking to you about it first, but I could feel the walls closing in around me. I wanted to be there for you, but you had Lou and Jack, and I just ..." Ty's head hung. "I didn't feel like I had anyone to be there for me. I felt like it was up to me to keep everyone's spirits up, and the entire time, all I could think about was what the doctor said."

Amy's mouth bobbed open, but Ty pressed two fingers against her lips. "Let me finish, please." She nodded softly. "You were asleep. Lou was half asleep, and Jack was worried I was going to bolt and all I did was prove him right." Tears filled Ty's eyes, as he clasped Amy's hands in his. "I took off with the intention of not returning … at least not for a little while. I felt horrible about it. I was physically ill with myself over it, but I couldn't stop myself. Not until I literally ran into Dr. Whistler." A soft smile broke out on Ty's lips. "He told me that Tyler's temperature is starting to respond to the medication. That as long as Tyler's temperature continues to go down, that he'll be fine. I nearly collapsed I was so relieved, Amy. I was so afraid that we were going to lose him. I couldn't handle that. You and Tyler mean everything to me, and I can't handle the fact that we might not have him in our lives anymore."

Amy nodded, "Dr. Whistler stopped by here not too long after you left, and told us. It was the only way I could get them to sleep. I understand what you're saying, Ty. I do, but that doesn't change the fact that I needed you and you weren't here. Of course I had my sister and my grandpa, but the one person that I needed the most wasn't there for me." Amy sighed, "And don't ever think that they don't care about you enough to be there for you, because they do. If you would have asked for a shoulder to lean on, they would have provided it, Ty. You were family to them long before we ever got married."

Ty nodded, "I know that, but at the time …I just. I can't explain it, Amy. I wish I could, but I can't. I guess I just got so used to not needing anyone when I was growing up, that it's become a hard habit to break. Believe me when I say that I don't blame you if you can't forgive me. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to forgive myself for what I did, but I thought you'd like to know that Dr. Whistler allowed me to see Tyler."

Amy's eyes lit up at that information, "Can I see him? Dr. Whistler didn't even mention it being a possibility right now."

Ty's head hung. "I'm sorry, Amy. Dr. Whistler didn't even want to allow me in to see Tyler. His immune system is still really weak, and he's afraid that any infection that he could be introduced to will make his temperature rise again."

Realization lit Amy's features, as the almost happy smile fell away from her face. "Because I'm still sick, right?" She sighed, before falling back into her chair. "This is all my fault. It's my fault that we almost lost Tyler."

"Don't do that. Don't you dare do that, Amy! It is not your fault that Tyler got sick. It's not like you got sick with the purpose of spreading it to Tyler. It just happened. It's part of life. Sometimes children just don't take to sickness and temperatures as well as others. This wasn't your fault, and I won't allow you to blame yourself."

Amy peered up at him, before reaching out her hand to grasp his. "I want to forgive you, Ty, because I love you so much. It's just … it's going to take time."

Ty smiled softly, before sitting down beside Amy. "I'll be happy to regain your trust, Amy. You're more than worth the wait." He leaned to the side and pressed his lips to Amy's cheek. "I'll never off on you again. I swear."

Amy leaned toward Ty, her head lay against his shoulder. "It's going to be a long road for us to be okay again. It's going to take a while before I trust your ability to keep your promise, Ty, but I know that you're worth the effort. You always have been. I've always loved the boy that lived in the loft, and I always will."


	3. Don't Give Up On Me Just Yet

_**A/N: **_This is obviously one of the flashback chapters I was talking about. There will be two more flashback chapters and the possibility of at least two or three other chapters and this one will be finished. So I hope you enjoy this!

* * *

Amy stared at Ty as he saddled up Harley. They didn't have a lot of time to spend together this weekend, in fact if Amy really thought about it, they hadn't spent a lot of time together for the past couple of weeks. She had been busy with a couple of horses, and Ty had midterms coming up.

"Can I help you?" Ty asked, a smile on his face and his eyes dancing with mischief.

Amy chuckled lightly, she knew what that look meant. "You could stop being so handsome. It's distracting."

The smile fell off of Ty's face, as a serious look took over the playful look from only moments before. His hand came to rest just under his chin, as he appeared to be deep in thought. It caused Amy's eyebrows to furrow slightly, as she tried to figure out what Ty was doing or at least thinking.

"Well, I suppose I could try. Not sure how to go about being _less _handsome, but I could give it a go. I just, are you sure it's what you want, Miss Fleming? I mean, the last time I checked, you enjoyed my handsome face."

Amy's eyebrows rose slightly. "Ty..."

He held up a hand to stop her from continuing. "Just answer the question, please." He waited a beat, and it was in that moment that Amy caught the hint of mischief still glinting in his eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Borden. That's exactly what I want." She answered defiantly.

Ty nodded, "Okay. I'll look into that. In the meantime though..." Ty let his sentence trail off as he started to stalk toward Amy slowly.

"Ty..." Amy's voice warned, as the smile that had vanished, reappeared bigger than before. "I swear!" Her voice grew by an octave.

"You swear what?" Ty asked innocently, as he closed the gap between the two of them.

Amy looked around her surroundings and realized what Ty's plan was. However, she realized it far too late, and knew that she was screwed as he grew closer. Suddenly Ty was directly in front of her, his body pressed close to hers, as his hands grabbed a hold of the metal bars behind her, blocking her in.

"I'm waiting." Ty whispered huskily.

Amy growled, "You'd better not bring those fingers anywhere near my sides, Ty."

Ty gasped lightly, a faux look of hurt crossing his features. "Why, Amy Fleming, would I ever do something so _heinous_?"

Amy eyed him carefully, before nodding her head. "Oh, most definitely. You are the most heinous tickler in all the land." Amy said wistfully, as her head leaned forward slightly.

Ty closed the gap slowly, pressing his lips against hers. He took the moment for what it was, a distraction. As Amy's arms wound around Ty's neck, he tried to fight the smile growing on his lips as his hands slowly came off the metal bars behind Amy. His fingers curled slightly, as they attacked Amy's sides. A surprised giggle broke from her lips, pulling her away from Ty's lips.

"Stop! Ty! Quit!" Amy barked out in between laughs.

Ty chuckled lightly, as his fingers continued to dance around Amy's ribs lightly. "Never!" He chuckled louder.

Gaining a miniscule of control over herself, Amy shoved Ty away lightly, giving him a glare as she took off running toward Spartan. "Catch me if you can!" Amy shouted, as she quickly pulled herself onto the saddle and spurring Spartan on.

Ty laughed, as he quickly followed suit on Harley. "You'll regret that, Amy! I will catch you!" Ty called, as Amy started to disappear from view. Oh, he would definitely catch Amy, and she would definitely pay for getting away from him.

* * *

Ty could feel his heart speed up with each new gallop that Harley took. The further that he went without seeing Amy, the more frightened he became. It wouldn't be the first time that something happened to Amy while out for a ride. Numerous images floated through his mind and he had to shake his head to keep the images from growing worse in nature. It was then that he spotted Spartan. Without a second thought, Ty spurred Harley on faster before pulling Harley to a quick stop.

He quickly jumped down before looking around. She had to be close by. Spartan wouldn't have just up and left her completely alone. Moving forward, slowly, taking in every inch of ground that he could, Ty spotted Amy just ahead. His stomach churned uncomfortably as he continued moving forward. The only thought in his mind was that she had to be okay. He knelt down beside her, and noted that her head had hit a rock on the way down.

Swallowing around a large lump in his throat, Ty carefully rolled Amy onto he back and looked her up and down. He couldn't see any obvious injuries, aside from the small cut on the side of her head.

"Please, be okay." Ty whispered as he sat down on the ground and pulled Amy into his arms. He held her close to his chest, before pulling out his cellphone. He dialed quickly and waited until the other end picked up. "Jack. It's Amy." It was the only words he could force out of his mouth.

Tears filled his eyes as he rocked both of them back and forth. Everything that they had been through, all of it, filled his mind like a movie without sound. Just images, really. Images of Amy smiling, radiating with happiness. Images of Amy with tears in her eyes, a looks of utter heartbreak on her face.

Ty didn't even know how he could bring Amy so much happiness in one moment and break her heart the next. It wasn't something that he wanted to do. He had never wanted to hurt her. It was the last thing he wanted. All he had ever wanted for Amy, was for her to be happy.

In the back of his mind, he could hear the sound of footsteps crunching leaves behind him. He knew that he had call out, so that they'd know where he was, but he couldn't force words to come from his mouth.

"Ty!" Jack's voice boomed from one direction.

"Amy!" Lou's voice boomed from the opposite direction.

"I'll be right back, I swear." Ty vowed to Amy, before removing his leather jacket and propping it under her head. "I love you so much, Amy. You have to be okay." He sighed, before standing up. He took off back toward where he had left the horses, before pulling out his phone. From the way their voices sounded, Lou was closer to their location than Jack, so Ty dialed her number and waited for her to answer.

"Ty? Where are you?"

"We're to the left of your location, Lou."

"We're coming." Lou answered before disconnecting the call.

Ty put his phone back into his pocket, as he started to dance from one foot to the other. He knew that it was smarter to stay with the horses. That they would be easier to spot, then two people in a thick marsh. He knew that it was the logical choice, but his less than logical side simply wanted to be with Amy. To hold her close and will her eyes to open. It took everything in him to stay rooted in place. After a few moments, Ty finally heard footsteps to his right. Turning in the right direction, he peered into the thick shrubbery and waited. Lou emerged first, followed by Peter.

"How is she?"

Ty ran a hand through his hair. "She's unconscious."

Both of them nodded, as they followed Ty toward Amy's unconscious form. Lou gasped slightly, as Peter knelt down and lifted Amy up.

"We need to get her to a hospital." Peter said simply.

Ty stared at Amy in Peter's arms, and back toward the horses. The indecision in his eyes was easily noticeable by both Peter and Lou. He shifted from one foot to the other. He had to be with Amy, by her side. It's what he needed to do, but he also knew that Amy would want him to be sure that both Spartan and Harley made it back to Heartland safely.

"She'll understand, Ty." Lou spoke softly, a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She'll be glad to know that you were able to ensure Spartan's safety. You know that."

Ty nodded. "I promise, I'll be there as soon as I get the horses back in their stalls."

"I know." Lou whispered.

Ty watched as they both walked away from him, his head hung for a moment, before he made a move toward the horses.

* * *

Ty's feet shuffled against the tiled floor, his eyes shifted from staring at his feet to looking at the closed door and back again. It had taken him much longer than he had anticipated to get both horses back to Heartland and into their stalls. He had turned to run to his truck when Mallory had stopped him. The panicked look on his face gave away that something had gone terribly wrong. He had to explain, and it seemed to take forever to get the words out. Mallory had promised to look over the horses for him so that he could leave. He hadn't even thought of that. The only true thought in his mind was getting to Amy. Everything else be damned.

Once he finally made his way into the hospital, Jack had explained that Amy was awake. That there wasn't any major injury. A mild concussion and that she'd have to spend the night in the hospital. Then came the words he dreaded. She wanted to see him, to talk to him.

The moment that he decided to stay behind to get the horses back to Heartland, he had feared that she would wake up before he could make it to the hospital. That she would be upset that he had broken his promise. That she would be upset that he wasn't there when she woke up, even if that's what he had wanted the most.

Slowly, Ty pushed the door open and walked inside. Even with her skin paler than normal and thick, white gauze covering her head, Ty couldn't deny that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

"Hey." He said softly, as he let the door close behind him.

Her head turned toward him. He waited for her to yell or demand to know where he had been. Instead, Amy smiled softly at him and waved him over. He hadn't been expecting that. He walked slowly toward her, sitting down in the only chair in the room. She reached out her hand and grabbed a hold of his.

"Thank you." She whispered hoarsely.

Ty couldn't help but to return her smile. "For what?"

"Lou told me what you did. Not just finding me and getting me help. I would never doubt that you'd do that for me. I mean for making sure that the horses got back to Heartland. For taking care of Spartan. I know it had to be hard for you." Amy shook her head softly, trying not to groan at the pain it caused. "I know it would have been hard for me, to leave you behind. So, thank you."

Ty's head hung, "I only did what I thought you'd want. For the horses to be taken care of. Trust me, it was the hardest decision that I ever made, Amy. To leave your side when I knew that you needed me."

"I know, Ty. That's why what you did means so much to me. Because you put my wants, my needs, ahead of your own. You're such an amazing guy, Ty. I am so lucky to have you in my life."

Ty couldn't help but smile at her. "Me too. I am the luckiest guy in the entire world to have you in my life, Amy Fleming." He sighed softly before standing back up. Amy stared at him carefully as he knelt down beside her bed. "Amy, this is something that I've been thinking about doing for a while now. After everything that we've been through. After everything that life has thrown at us, and how we've been able to come out the other side with a new found respect for each other. It hasn't always been easy and I doubt it ever will be, and I am so looking forward to it. I guess, what I'm trying to say, Amy, is that you make me a better man. You make me want to be the best man that I can be, just so that you have someone you can be proud of. I want to be that for you. I want to be there for you, always. Amy Fleming, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

Tears filled Amy's eyes as she at Ty. The most adorable smile flashed on his lips as she nodded her head. "Yes, Ty. Of course I will." Amy whispered, as Ty stood up and pressed his lips to Amy's.

"I will do everything in my power to be good enough for you. I swear it."

Amy pressed her hand against his cheek, the tears falling freely now. "You already are, Ty. You have grown so much over the past few years from the angry young man that showed up. You make me proud every single day. I'm the one that's lucky to have you as a husband."

Ty pressed his forehead softly against Amy's. "I will love you for my entire life, Amy Fleming."

"As will I will, Ty Borden, as will I."


	4. Take My Breath Away

_**A/N:**_Apologies for the long wait. I have been working extra hard on my two new Heartland based fics. One is nearing uploading stage, the other one I still need to get a couple of more chapters written before I feel comfortable uploading. So those will come along soon'ish. If it helps, this ended up double the size that I had planned on it being. Enjoy! Reviews are absolutely loved, and seem to feed my muse. More reviews, faster updates. It's how I work *wink* *wink*

* * *

Ty sighed, his shaking hands trying to fix the tie that loped around his next. His nerves were getting the better of him, even if he knew this was exactly what he wanted. It was all he had ever wanted, since the day that he had met Amy Fleming he had wanted to marry her. That didn't change his nature, or the Borden family tradition. To say that he was terrified that he would eventually hurt Amy was an understatement. He had meant what he had said to her just a few years earlier. It was one of the reasons that he had been so reluctant to give into his feelings when he returned to Heartland. The pain in her eyes when he had climbed out of the cab of Jack's truck, it had stricken him with an ache so deep, to know that it was his fault.

Since that day he had worked to prove, not only to Amy, but to himself that he could handle himself. Control his inner need to run, to be free. It wasn't easy, and he had been known to slip up. The Blair thing, was just one giant mistake that he wished with everything inside of him that he could take back. That incident had beaten him up inside, and for sometime he actually hated himself. Not only for bringing Blair into his and Amy's lives, but for getting so angry at Amy for doing something that he had done as well.

"Hey." A voice called from behind him.

Ty's body seized up for a moment, before relaxing. When they had told Amy's family about their engagement, he had waited for Jack or Tim to give him the talk. It wasn't much different than the talk he had been given when they had gotten back together after the Blair and Chase incident. It was something that Ty wasn't soon to forget, and if he was honest, it had only caused him to respect Jack even more. Something that Ty didn't think was possible.

"_I think we need to have a chat." Jack spoke up, his voice rough. _

_Ty nodded, as he took a seat on one of the bales of hay in the barn. He looked up at Jack, and waited for the older man to start the conversation. _

"_I've noticed some things going – between you and Amy." Jack paused, as he awaited confirmation from Ty, who simply nodded. "You two have been dancing around each other, playing this game of back and forth. That eventually led to my granddaughter getting hurt. You need to think long and hard on this, Ty. You're a special young man to this family, but we won't stand by and let you hurt Amy again." _

_Ty sighed, as he ran his hand over his face. The three day stubble pricking against his fingertips. "I get it, Jack. Hurting Amy was never anything that I ever wanted. She is so amazing and special. I feel lucky that she picked me, I do, and I am so stupid for everything that happened in the past. I have hurt her far too many times, and I promised myself that I would never do that again, ever." _

_Jack patted Ty's shoulder, "That's good to hear, Ty, but they're just words. Actions speak louder than words, remember that." Jack turned to leave. _

"_Jack, wait!" Ty called, as he stood up. The words that he wanted to say started to jumble up in his mind, and he felt the same way that he felt whenever he tried to say something meaningful to Amy. "I just, I want you to know how much I respect you. You took me in and pulled me out of a pretty dark place. If it weren't for you or Amy I don't know where I'd be right now, but I'm pretty sure that prison is a pretty good place to start guessing. You and your family gave me a future that I never dreamed was possible for me, but even more? You treated me like a member of your family, and I want you to know that I think of you as the father that I wish I could have had. Maybe if my father would have been like you, maybe I never would have ended up in the trouble that I did. What I'm trying to say is, thank you, Jack."_

"Hey." Ty answered, as he turned around and faced Jack.

"So, are you ready to marry my granddaughter?"

Ty smiled, the nervousness that he had been feeling was slowly starting to seep away. His shaking hands slowed. "Absolutely. Never a doubt in my mind about that."

Jack smiled at Ty, but Ty could tell that something was quite right. He took a couple of steps closer, and saw the sweat beads on Jack's forehead.

"Hey, Jack, are you feeling alright?" Ty asked, concern lacing his voice.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, it's just a little warm in here."

Ty's eyebrow rose slightly, "Are you sure that you're not sick?"

Jack went to nod again, but groaned before clasping his left arm. "Okay, maybe I'm not so okay." Jack, mumbled, as his legs caved under him.

Ty lent forward and grabbed Jack under his arms before he fell to the ground. He dug out his cellphone and dialed, "Yeah, I need an ambulance at the Heartland ranch immediately. I'm pretty sure someone is having a heart attack."

* * *

Amy paced the floor of the hospital. Slow, methodical, back and forth. One of her perfectly manicured fingernails, Lou's idea, was currently being ravaged by her teeth. The doctor had been out once and informed them that Jack had indeed suffered a heart attack, but was adamant that it was merely a minor attack. He had disappeared with the promise of retrieving them once they had Jack settled into a room upstairs. That had been nearly an hour and a half ago.

Ty's knee bounced in rhythm of Amy's pacing. Each step she took was one extra bounce his knee took. Both movements were driving him insane, and he wanted nothing more than to grab hold of Amy and pull her close. Whisper in her ear that it would all be alright. That they had gotten Jack to the hospital in time, and that he'd be good as new in no time. He wanted to do that, but felt he couldn't. Not if he didn't believe the words that he would try to use to comfort his fiancee. Ty wanted to believe that Jack would be fine, that he'd be back to his old self in no time, but he couldn't. Bad things like this? They seemed to follow Ty around like a life-sucking leech. Nothing good ever came from something bad, not in Ty's life. Not as far as he's ever seen. His father's prison stints before abandoning him and his mother, Wade and his issues, juvie, none of it ever ended well for Ty.

He sighed as his thoughts came full circle, and realized that if none of that stuff had happened to him. That if he hadn't lived through every crappy situation that life had thrown at him, he never would have met Amy. He never would have found his way to Heartland, and he never would have sat eyes on the beautiful blonde, horse crazy, girl that he captured his heart and mind.

His hand bobbed along with his knee, and suddenly he felt something warm grab it. Turning his attention toward his hand, he saw familiar fingers wrapped around his own. Following the arm up to it's owner, he merely stared at Amy. Tears were still fresh in her eyes, and the streaks of tears long past still stained her cheeks, but it was the way she was looking at him that stopped his heart. Ty realized the reason for the way she was looking at him like that. He hadn't even realized that he had been crying, until a single lone tear slid from his cheek and dropped on their clasped hands.

"Hey." Amy nudged his arm.

Ty sighed at the familiarity of it all. Like if he closed his eyes and turned off his mind for a moment, that he could pretend that everything was alright. That everything was good again. Yet, he knew that once he opened his eyes again, that it would be a huge disappointment. "Hey," he mumbled back, halfheartedly.

"He's going to pull through this, you know that right?" Amy asked him.

Ty felt like he wanted to kick himself. He was the one that was supposed to be reassuring her. He was supposed to be the one that comforted her, not the other way around. They weren't even married yet, and he was already doing it all wrong. Maybe it was all a sign that they shouldn't get married. He sighed, his head hanging slightly for even thinking that.

"I want to believe that, Amy. More than anything, I want to believe that. I just – I can't. When bad things happen to those that I care about, good doesn't follow. Apparently it's the other Borden family tradition."

Amy sighed softly, "Ty, do you remember what happened last year?"

Ty stiffened slightly, his eyes darkening, "I'll never forget."

Amy smiled, she knew that she had Ty exactly where she wanted him. "Plenty of good came from that didn't it?"

Ty slowly swiveled his head, "Yeah, it did."

"Then your free to believe that Grandpa will be fine. The doctor is even convinced that he'll be alright. Of course it won't be the same. Grandpa is going to have to make some changes, but aside from that, he'll be fine."

Ty smiled softly at Amy. "I love you so much."

Amy leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Ty's. "I love you too, Ty Borden. Even if you do infuriate me to no end."

* * *

_Two Weeks Later_

Ty's standing in the loft, his fingers making quick work of the tie that's wrapped around his neck. Smiling into the make-shift mirror that Caleb had helped him set up in the room two weeks earlier. This time was so much different. Ty almost felt like a different man, even if only two weeks had passed. Watching someone he cared about nearly die in front of your eyes, it was bound to change you. A knock sounded on the door, and Ty's eyebrow furrowed. He knew that it wasn't Jack this time since Jack hadn't been cleared to do much of anything physical.

"Come in." Ty finally answered as the person knocked a second time.

"Hey, man." Caleb grinned at Ty, "Jack made me come check on you. Said you were a nervous wreck last time, couldn't even get your tie on."

Ty shook his head, "Yeah, of course that's what Jack would remember from that day. My nerves..."

"That's alright, ya' know. To be nervous?" Caleb interrupted Ty.

Ty nodded, "I didn't know it. I thought that I was going to bolt Caleb, then everything with Jack happened." Ty sighed, "Then I saw her strength. I mean, I've always known she was strong, since the day I met her. Did I ever tell you about that?" Ty asked, a sly grin on his face.

Caleb shook his head, before settling down on the edge of Ty's bed. Ty leaned causing against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "I wasn't in a good place. I was edgy and I didn't trust anyone. Amy once compared me to her wounded horses, with my trust issues. Anyway, I was driving on the gravel road toward Heartland, and Amy was out riding with one of her friends. It was right after her mom had died, and she was just as edgy as I was. I revved my truck when I drove past, scared the hell out of the horses that the girls were riding." Caleb chuckled, as Ty continued, "She chased me down on her horse, caught me as I got out of my truck and demanded to know what my problem was. Promptly told me that you don't rev a truck near horses. I was such a smart-ass, and I'm pretty sure I pissed her off..." Ty let his sentence trail off for a moment. "Thinking back on it though, I'm pretty sure that was when I first started to fall for her. Then I saw what she was able to do with Spartan, how she tamed him. I was a goner from day one."

Caleb chuckled, his mouth bobbed open to speak, but someone cut him off. "Oh, believe me, I was a goner from day one too. I was just better at hiding it."

Ty's head snapped toward the door, before he promptly shut his eyes. "Isn't this like bad luck or something? I'm not supposed to see her before the wedding, right?" Ty asked, peeking out behind his hand at Caleb.

"So, not getting in the middle of it." Caleb answered, as he stood up and walked toward Amy. "You look beautiful, Amy." Caleb said, before disappearing.

"Oh, take your hands off your face. I don't believe in silly superstitions!"

Ty slowly let his hand fall from his face, his jaw slackened as he stared at his bride-to-be. "Amy." He gasped out, "You look beautiful."

Amy felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. "We have to make this quick. I might believe in superstitions, but Lou does. If she finds me in here, she'll have both our heads."

Ty chuckled as he stepped forward, engulfing Amy in his arms. "Well, why the sudden urge to defy your sister?"

Amy shrugged, "I was just worried – that maybe you were having second thoughts?"

Ty shook his head. "Never. You stole my heart the very first time you yelled at me, and have refused to return it since."

Amy chuckled against his chest. "Good."

Ty could still feel the tension in her body. Her shoulders were stiff against his chest. "What's really bothering you?"

Amy sighed, "I had a dream last night. That you realized that you didn't want to be tied down and jumped on your bike and took off..." Amy sniffled lightly.

"Hey, now. No crying. If you ruin your make-up Lou will kill me – you – or both of us." Amy chuckled softly at that. "Look at me, Amy." She complied, if only lifting her head slightly off of Ty's chest. "I would never just leave you. Not after everything that we've been through. I've done that before, and I would never willingly put you through that kind of pain again." Ty paused, as he grasped Amy's hand in his own. Slowly, he lead Amy over toward his bed, and sat them both down. "I won't lie, Amy. Two weeks ago, I was nervous. Not because I was having second thoughts, but because I was afraid that you'd realize that you had made a huge mistake. I am so not good enough for you, and most of the time I wonder how I got so lucky to have someone like you in my life." Ty smiled softly, as he brushed his thumb against her cheek. "I can't promise that I won't ever get that urge to want to leave, but I swear to you here and now, Amy, that if I do I will tell you. I won't go anywhere unless we talk about it first, and I will alway_s _come back to you. Wherever you are, Amy, is home for me. I could never be away from you for very long."

Amy leaned against his shoulder, and let Ty hold her for a moment. Their moment was ruined by voices down in the barn. Amy's head jerked up, "It's Lou and Mallory." Amy whispered.

Ty glanced around the small loft room for somewhere he could hide Amy that wouldn't ruin all the hard work Lou had done on her dress, hair, and make-up. As he looked around, he was listening to what was being said below them. Finally, he heard Mallory shout that she would just check the loft room, with a retort from Lou about Amy better not being up there with Ty. They both chuckled, as Mallory knocked softly on the door.

"Come in, Mallory." Ty called.

She slipped into the small room, and rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, don't let her find you in here. None of us will hear the end of it. Maybe, we can slip you out of here, and you can do that T-touch thing on Lou that you do with the horses? I mean, I know you said it's a horse thing, and doesn't really do a lot of people – but she really needs to take a chill pill. Also, you need to stop hiding from her, and also, stop leaving her alone with me. That is if you still want a sister by the end of the day?"

Amy and Ty both chuckled lightly, before Amy kissed Ty's cheek. "Alright, get me out of here before Lou detects my presence."

Mallory sighed, her hands thrown up in exasperation, before looking at Ty. "You'd better get that taken care of." She pointed to his cheek, before leading Amy out the door and down the stairs.

Ty glanced in the mirror again, and chuckled. He grabbed the towel that was still damp from the dresser and dabbed at the lipstick mark on his cheek.

* * *

Ty stood, watching as the small area designated for dancing, filled with people. Some were couples, others were friends. All were joined together in their happiness to celebrate Ty and Amy's shared nuptials. Taking his mind off the dancing, Ty glanced at his left ring finger. The waning sun glinted off the sliver ring on his finger. The vows that he had spoken still ringing in his ears.

"_Both, Ty and Amy, have decided to write their own vows. Ty, would you like to say your vows?" _

_Ty nodded, even though his throat felt like it was closing up. He swallowed against the tight lump that had formed in his throat. In that moment, he regretted not keeping the paper that he had written his vows down on. It wasn't that he didn't remember what he wrote, he would remember those words until the day he died. It was more the fact that now that he was there, in the moment, he was terrified that he wouldn't be able to find the words. Amy squeezed his hand affectionately, giving Ty the courage to move forward. _

"_Amy, there are many words that I could say to describe how I feel about you, and every single one of them would be true. Yet, none of them would do my feelings justice. What we have, what we share, it is so much more than a deep, undying love. It's much more than just a partnership. It is so far beyond words..." Ty paused, a small smile tugging on the edges of his lips. "I will never forget the first day that I met you, because that is the day that my life changed. You put a belief in me that most anyone else never did. You gave me a chance, when most anyone else would have just slammed the door shut in my face. More than anything else, Amy, you gave me a reason to live. A reason to change and become better. You gave me a reason to actually think about my future, and for that – I will be forever grateful. I love you more than anything else in this world, Amy. Always." _

_Ty watched as Amy dabbed at the corner of her eye. A smile on her lips. "Ty, there are so many reasons why I love you, but there is only one reason that I _fell_ in love with you. Your heart. The first day that I met you, I thought you were just another stuck up jerk and you certainly didn't do much to change my opinion. That is until you took it upon yourself to build me a jumping course so that I wouldn't have to worry about trailering Spartan. That was the moment that I fell in love with you. That some strange boy that lived in the loft above the barn would go out of his way to help me. All the little things that followed that, the way that you were always there when I needed you most. The way that you are willing to do anything and everything to help me – to make me happy. I have known for a long time now that I would marry the boy that lived in the loft, and I am proud to say that boy has turned into the most wonderful man. I am far too lucky that he feels the same way about me." _

_Ty smiled, as a lone tear slid down his cheek. _

"Hey." Ty's head craned slightly, he'd know that voice anywhere.

"Hey, Ms. Borden." Amy beamed brightly at him.

"Oh, I love the sound of that, and I love you." She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest.

"That's good, I'm pretty fond of you too." Ty spoke softly, before pressing a kiss to her hair. "I guess we're in this for the long haul then?"

Amy looked up at him. "Until death do us part, right?"

Ty shrugged, "I'm pretty sure I'd still love you, even if I was dead."

Amy smiled, before pressing her lips to his. "You are very cheesy, Mr. Borden."

Ty pressed a kiss to her cheek, a smile on his lips. "I guess it's a good thing I already wrangled you into marrying me then, right?"

Amy shrugged, "Eh, I guess I'm stuck with you. I suppose there are far worse people I could be stuck with."

Ty shook his head, "Alright, Ms. Borden, let's dance, shall we?" He held out his hand.

"Oh, I think that sounds lovely, Mr. Borden." Amy chuckled as Ty spun her out into the middle of the dance area. Slowly they spun in circles, with Amy's head resting against Ty's chest. He had never felt quite so content as he did when Amy was in his arms. He had a feeling that married life wasn't going to be easy, but he knew that as long as he had Amy that they could overcome anything that got in their way.


	5. Angel By My Side

_**A/N:**_Apologies on the long wait. I hit a bit of a road block with this one, and had a hard time wriggling myself out of it. I've also been really busy and haven't had a whole lot of "writing" time. I hope to have made up for that with a super fluffy (borderline cheesy) chapter. I think that this one might be the end of this story, as I've run out of ideas to keep me going, plus I want to focus on my other two stories: _Farther Away and_ _Further to Fall (Once Upon A Time) and Take A Back Road (Heartland). _

* * *

A pained groan echoed from his left side. Ty groaned as he blinked his bleary eyes open. Sleep clouded his vision slightly, but he was able to deduct that his wife was crying out beside him. Quickly, Ty swiped a hand against his sleep-crusted eyes, before turning his full attention to Amy.

"Amy, honey, what's wrong. Is it the baby?" He asked, as he placed a gentle hand against Amy's bulging stomach. It didn't matter that she was nearly at her due date, it still overjoyed him every single time that he was able to think about it. Any day now he would be a father. While the thought scared him, he couldn't deny the overwhelming happiness that it brought him as well.

"I don't know. It hurts, Ty."

Ty's brow wrinkled slightly, "Let's get you up." He spoke softly, soothingly, as he helped Amy out of their bed. Once he knew that she was sure footed, he ducked into the dresser and pulled her out a pair of pajama pants.

She gave him a sheepish look before down-casting her eyes. "Can you help me?"

Ty smiled softly at her, "Of course, Amy." He whispered, as he helped her sit down on the edge of the bed, before helping her pull on the pants. When he helped her stand up again, his brow wrinkled. "Everything is going to be okay, Amy. I just know it." He spoke with more confidence then he felt, as he squeezed her hand. She nodded softly, before he lightly tugged on her hand. On their way out the door, Ty grabbed the overnight bag that Amy had packed a few nights earlier, just in case.

* * *

Ty placed a hand on Amy's back, walking slowly beside Amy, her eyes red-rimmed from the cries of pain. He rubbed slow, soothing circles on her back.

"How're you feeling?" He asked, as he tried to spot his truck in the parking lot.

Amy shrugged her shoulders, as one hand laid protectively on her stomach. "It doesn't hurt as badly." She spoke softly, exhaustion clear in her voice.

Ty sighed, "I don't get it. The doctor said that false labor is nothing, that most women don't even feel the contractions."

Amy's feet stopped moving, as she turned toward Ty. Her eyebrows rose slightly with her index finger pointed toward Ty. "No uterus, no opinion. Got it?" Amy asked, as one of her eyebrows cocked even higher.

Ty held up his hands in surrender, fearful for his own safety with Amy's warring hormones. "Got it." He tried to hide the chuckle that bubbled up into his throat, as he opened the passenger side door for Amy.

Without another word, Ty quickly walked around to the other side of the truck, and pulled himself inside the cab. The entire drive back to Heartland was done in silence. Halfway home, Amy had fallen asleep. The exhaustion of being woken up, and the stress of the false labor had taken their toll. As he pulled up outside of the house, he quietly put the truck into gear before turning it off. He hopped out of the cab, and walked around to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. Amy's head was lulled to the side as she breathed softly. Ty knew just how difficult it could be to wake Amy up when she was this asleep. With a soft a sigh, Ty quickly removed her seat-belt, before pulling her into his arms. He carried her slowly in toward the house, before making a beeline for their bedroom. Exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks, as he laid Amy down in their bed. Once he made sure she was comfortable, Ty slowly made his way to the other side and pulled himself into the bed. His eyes were closed before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Three Days Later

* * *

Ever since Amy's false labor, Ty had been keeping a close eye on her. Though he was still doing his work around the farm, he took more breaks than normal. He'd have to apologize to Caleb later on, once the baby was born and things had finally settled down, but until then his best friend was stick with more than his half of the work.

"Ty, I swear, I'm fine."

He sighed softly, "I don't like you being in here by yourself. What happens if you go into labor and I'm outside working with the horses?"

Amy nodded her head, she understood what he was saying. It would be difficult for her to get to him if he was too far off into the barn cleaning stalls, or working the horses. "I know. I called Lou, she said she'd sit with me for a while. She's bringing Katie over. You know how long it's been since I've seen my niece."

Ty nodded, "Good. When is she coming?"

Amy shrugged her shoulders, "Lou's waiting for Katie to wake up from her nap."

Ty ran a hand over his face, the exhaustion that he felt was evident in moments like this. "Alright. I got my phone on me. If you need me, call me. Alright?"

Amy nodded, as she propped her legs up on the table in front of her. She wriggled around for a moment, trying to find a more comfortable position, but gave up quickly when she realized that there was none to be found. "You better get out there before Caleb quits on you."

Ty chuckled, "Yeah, I know. Love you, Amy." He whispered, before pressing a kiss to Amy's head.

"Mmhmm. Love you too, Ty."

Giving her one last glance, Ty turned on his heel and walked toward the door. He could tell already that today was going to be a long one.

Lou pulled into the familiar drive and parked next to Ty's beat up pickup truck. Climbing out of the car, Lou waved at Caleb and Ty, before retrieving Katie from her car seat. "Are you ready to see Aunt Amy, Katie?" Lou asked.

Katie giggled softly and nodded her head, as Lou grabbed hold of her hand and led her up the walkway to the house. Once they stepped inside, Lou could tell that something was definitely wrong. Aside from the groaning that came from the living room, Lou noticed that Amy hadn't even started on the breakfast dishes, which was unlike her sister.

"Amy?" Lou called out, as she started walking toward the groaning.

"Lou." Amy rasped out, as she bent over double.

"Oh, God." Lou whispered, as she let go of Katie's hand and rushed to Amy's side. "How long?" Was all she asked, as Lou bent down to get a better look at her sister.

"Not too long, but they're pretty intense." Amy mumbled, as her hands dug into the couch tightly.

Lou nodded, "How far apart?"

Amy sighed, staring at her sister. "I have no idea, Lou. I haven't exactly been staring at the clock here."

Lou chuckled lightly, "Why didn't you tell Ty?"

Amy groaned softly before relaxing into the couch as the contraction passed. "Because, the last time I told Ty, it was only false labor. Now I know how embarrassing it was for you."

Lou nodded, "Yeah, that wasn't fun, but you have to think, Amy. This is your first child, you didn't know what to expect. Plus, it is awfully close to your due date."

"Yeah. So, is this real or..." Amy trailed off, and stared at Lou expectantly.

"Pretty sure that you're in labor. Now, I'm going to give Ty a call real quick. Is there anything that I need to get ready for you?"

Amy shook her head, "No, our bag for the hospital is still in the truck from a few days ago."

Lou nodded, "Alright, I'll have Ty put it in my vehicle." She grabbed the cordless phone from the table in front of Amy, and punched in Ty's cell number and waited. "Hey, Amy's in labor. Grab her bag from your truck and toss it in my vehicle." She paused for a moment before speaking again, "I'm walking her to the door right now. Just get her stuff in the car, and wait for us outside." Lou shook her head, "He is going to be a worried father, I can tell already."

Amy smiled, "Oh because you weren't a worried mother or anything."

"I see your point." Lou answered, before grabbing Amy's arm and helped hoist her to her feet. "But we can argue about that later. Right now, let's get you to the hospital. I'm pretty sure Ty would pass out if he had to play doctor to help birth his own child."

Amy chuckled lightly, the memory still in her mind of Ty helping Lou give birth to Katie. That moment, when nothing else mattered but making sure that Lou and Katie were okay, was their jumping off point to where they are now. "I think you have a valid point, Lou." Amy grunted, as another contraction started up.

Lou glanced at the clock and noted the time. They didn't have much time to get Amy to the hospital.

* * *

Amy groaned out in pain, her eyes were tightly squeezed closed, as she tightened her hold on Ty's hand. He swore he felt something break, but he wasn't sure. When her eyes opened back up, she stared at Ty with hatred burned deep inside.

"I hate you, Ty Borden. This is all your fault!" She spat angrily.

Ty merely stared at her, his mouth hanging agape, as a nurse patted his shoulder. "That would be the pain talking. Once it's all over, she'll love you again. I promise."

Ty nodded numbly, the words still stinging nonetheless. "It's okay, Amy," He tried to cheer her on. "You can do this. I know you can. You're the miracle girl – you're my miracle girl."

Amy felt tears well in her eyes, she knew that she was being hateful to Ty, and sometimes downright mean, but she couldn't stop herself. Every single time pain coursed through her body, hateful words dribbled from her mouth, and there was no stopping it. She would apologize to Ty once she actually had the baby, and could think straight again.

"Alright, Amy. One more big push." The doctor encouraged.

Amy glared at the doctor for a moment, "I don't think I have one more big push in me." She sighed. Exhaustion covering her features. Ty pulled her up a bit and slid in behind her. Using Ty as a brace, Amy pushed as hard as she could. A few moments later a shrill cry filled the air, and Amy fell back against the bed, exhausted.

"It's a boy." The doctor cried, before handing their baby off to the nurse. "She's just going to clean him up a bit." The doctor explained, before standing up. "You did really good, Amy." He smiled before walking out the door.

Ty smiled down at Amy, before pressing his lips against her forehead. "I am so proud of you. You did so good."

"I'm so sorry, Ty..." Ty pressed his fingers against Amy's lips and shook his head. No further words needed to be exchanged.

"I'm gonna go grab Jack, Tim, and Lou, I know they'll want to see him. You alright by yourself for a moment?"

Amy nodded, "I love you, Ty."

With a smile and a wink, he spoke, "I love you too, Amy." Before walking out the door.

Ty took quick, deliberate steps toward the waiting room. He stepped outside the doors of the delivery room, and grinned. "It's a boy. I have a son." Tears pressed against his eyes, as it all became so real. He was a father, it was his job to care for another human being. He almost couldn't believe it. In fact, Ty had been fairly certain that he hadn't ever wanted kids. It wasn't that he didn't like them, quite the opposite really. He loved kids, he just was far too afraid that he'd turn out like his father. The words he spoke to Amy when his father had rolled into Heartland came to the forefront of his mind. _'Leaving in the middle of the night is a Borden family tradition.' _He couldn't think about that now, not when everyone was so happy. They were all hugging him, and Jack had tears in his eyes.

"So, when can we meet the new addition?" Tim asked finally.

"Right now." Ty smiled softly, as he led his family back toward the room that Amy had been given.

The walk seemed to take forever, but finally he stood in front of the door, and pushed it open. Amy held their son in her arms, as she looked up and smiled at her family. Ty walked swiftly to Amy's side, and peered down at his child. A smile on his face, as his heart instantly melted.

"So, did you two pick out a name?" The nurse asked.

Ty and Amy both looked up, first at the nurse, and then at Jack. "Yeah, we did." Ty smiled softly, "Tyler Jackson Borden."

Jack ran his fingers under his eyes to catch the tears that were about to fall. No more words needed to be said, because they all knew the reasoning behind the name. Tyler, after his father, and Jackson after his great grandfather. Because they all knew that if it wasn't for Jack, they might not have made it where they are right now.


End file.
